Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a journalist/human rights defender has been implicated in an honour killing by a powerful tribe to punish him for raising the issue of the domestic abuse and murder of a woman, who had been declared Kari (black woman-a bad character). The victim is in hiding while perpetrators are raiding his and his relatives’ houses to find and murder him. The police have conspicuously refused to file a criminal case against the perpetrators on the application of the victim. The Sindh highcourt has directed the high-ranking police officials to intervene in the case of murder threats to the journalist and to report to the court but police have failed to comply with the court order.
The woman’s killers are from the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and the tribal chief remained as chief of the union council on the party ticket, using police influence on the people of the district.
CASE NARRATIVE:
A woman, Ms Shahnaz Bhutto, 28, was murdered by her husband and brother-in-law on December 7, 2012 on the pretext of an honour killing. She was murdered after her husband acquired her property but she was later accused of having an illicit relationship with a man, who is a journalist and a human rights defender. Her husband, Mr. Rana Bhutto, has married three times and allegedly murdered his first wife, Ms Makhni, by electrocuting her with live wires in 2000 on the issue of property. He married his second wife after the death of the first, and in 2003 he married Shahnaz as his third wife.
Rana Bhutto always wanted to have Shahnaz’s property – one expensive apartment in Karachi city – in his name. In 2012, he got the apartment in his name at gunpoint and sent her back to her village, Maula Alqutub town, in Daharki sub district. She had been made a victim of domestic violence continuously for some years of her marriage in order to get her to transfer her property to her husband. During the past four years, she was writing complaints to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the prime minister, the Inspector General of Police of the province, Sindh high court and NGOs to inform them that she is under domestic violence not only by her husband but also from the male members of her in laws. In 2009, a family Jirga (Panchayat) was held under Dr. Zafar Bhutto and the elders and important personalities of the Bhutto clan in the area attended it, including the perpetrators. The Jirga held that Shahnaz Bhutto had to be violently dealt with, not only by her husband but by the male persons on his side of the family. The Jirga directed that no other person should deal with the lady and that her husband should not beat her; otherwise a criminal case would be filed against him.
However, the perpetrators, with the connivance of police, continued to beat her to get her to transfer the property. One of the perpetrators, Kala Khan Bhutto, is the sub inspector in Central Investigation Agency (CIA), a police wing.
On the day of the murder, Ms Shahnaz was taken to a graveyard at Khair Muhammad Bhutto’s village, 15 kilometeres away from her residence, to visit the grave of her father-in-law who died some months ago. She was murdered by 10 persons and her uncle and others were witnesses to the incident.
After the murder, which was exposed by the journalist Mr. Sikander Bhutto, the murderers announced that Sikander was having an illicit relationship with Shahnaz and he is a target of Karo, which means he is liable to be killed. Mr. Sikander Ali Bhutto, a media representative of the Human Rights Commission (HRCP), a prominent journalist of Ghotki district and vice president of Daharki Press Club, Sindh province, is affiliated with Pakistan Press International (PPI) and reporter at News One TV. He has to take shelter in another province because of armed attacks at his home and the houses of his relatives by the henchmen of the perpetrators who killed Ms Shahnaz Bhutto. Sikander, as a human rights defender, has also reported about the domestic violence against her by the male members of her husband’s family and about her applications to the courts, federal and provincial ministers and high-ranking police officers.
Abdul Majeed, the son of Koro Khan Bhutto, the brother of second wife of her husband, surrendered at the Daharki police station three days after the murder, and confessed that he murdered Shahnaz and that he also tried to murder Sikander, the journalist, but failed. Before his surrender, Mr. Rana, the husband of victim, was arrested and also confessed the murder, on the pretext of honour killing.
The role of the police is very dubious in the case as a sizeable number of the perpetrators’ henchmen are openly threatening to kill a journalist as an honour killing but no action has been taken to provide protection to the journalist and his family members. The police have also ignored the direction from Sindh high court, which asked them to send back a report on the allegations of death threats on the pretext of honour killing. The directions were issued on January 8 but the police have not replied yet.
The killers are from the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and the tribal chief remains as chief of the union council on the party ticket, using police influence on the people of the district.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The term Karo Kari is used for honour killings and every year more than 300 persons are made a victim of ‘honour’. However, there is no official record of honour killings as the family members of the victims avoid registering the cases because of more revenge and murders from the perpetrators, who always have good patronage with the local police and lower judiaciary, which is also biased against the women. It is very rarely that perpetrators of honour killings are punished by the courts. Rather, in the majority of cases, a settlement is reached outside the court with the connivance of the lower courts. The settlements are more horrible than the honour killings, as minor girls are exchanged in the settlements.
The honour killing perpetrators use the cover of an illegal feudal court, named a Jirga, which consists of elders from the tribe, and orders the killings of the accused persons and couples. The higher courts have declared the Jirgas illegal but there is no law to ban them. Most of the cases of honour killings are based on the sharing or distribution of property and, when property issues are not settled, then the woman is accused of destroying of honour of the family. The accused woman is then linked with some man. After the honour killing, the murderer is treated as the hero who saved the honour of the family.
This crime is very common in southern Punjab and Sindh, where the feudal and centuries old tribal system is used.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the following authorities calling on them to provide protection to the journalist and human rights defender who has been falsely implicated in the case of an honour killing over property issue by powerful people in Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province, with the connivance of the police. Please urge them to arrest all the perpetrators, including their henchmen, and the connivance of police officers of the Daharki sub district, on the charges of murder and violent abuse. Please also urge them to hand over the property of the victimized woman to her children.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression and Opinion and Violence Against Women calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: A journalist cum human rights defender has been implicated in honour killing while police refused to protect him
Name of victims:
1.Mr. Sikandar Bhutto, human rights defender and journalist, resident of Khair Muhammad village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
2. Ms. Shahnaz Bhutto (murdered) wife of Rana Bhutto, resident of Alqutub town, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1.Mr. Rana Bhutto, resident of Alqutub town, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
2.Mr. Sahib Dino Bhutto, tribal leader of Bhutto clan, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
3.Sub inspector Kala Bhutto, son of Sahib Dino, CIA, Mirpur Mathelo, Sindh province
4.Abdul Majeed, son of Karo Bhutto, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
5.Zulfiqar Bhutto, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
6.Sharif Bhutto, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
7. Rano, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
8. Abdul Lateef Bhutto, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
9. Yasin Bhutto, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
10.Qasim Dino Bhutto, resident of Khair Muhammad Bhutto village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
11.Sub-Inspector Khalid Memon, Station Head Officer (SHO), Daharki police station, Ghotki district, Sindh province
Date of incident: 7 December 2012
Place of incident: Khair Muhammad village, Daharki, Ghotki district, Sindh province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the murder of Shahnaz Bhutto of Daharki, Sindh province, who was murdered on the pretext of an honour killing. I am also voicing my deep concern about the implication of a journalist/human rights defender on the charges of Karo a black man, as he is liable to be killed. He has been falsely accused of having an illicit relationship with the murdered woman.
I was shocked to know that the killers of the woman are from the ruling party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and are using its name to influence the process of law. No official from the ruling party has stopped them using the name of the party for their crimes and influence on the police, which shows that the PPP directly or indirectly support the perpetrators committing crimes in the name of PPP.
I have received information that a woman, Ms Shahnaz Bhutto, 28, was murdered by her husband and brother-in-law on December 7, 2012, on the pretext of an honour killing. She was murdered after her husband acquired her property but she was later accused of having an illicit relationship with a man, who is a journalist and a human rights defender.
Rana Bhutto always wanted to have Shahnaz’s property – one expensive apartment in Karachi city – in his name. In 2012, he got the apartment in his name at gunpoint and sent her back to her village, Maula Alqutub town, in Daharki sub district. She had been made a victim of domestic violence continuously for some years of her marriage in order to get her to transfer her property to her husband. During the past four years, she was writing complaints to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the prime minister, the Inspector General of Police of the province, Sindh high court and NGOs to inform them that she is under domestic violence not only by her husband but also from the male members of her in laws. In 2009, a family Jirga (Panchayat) was held under Dr. Zafar Bhutto and the elders and important personalities of the Bhutto clan in the area attended it, including the perpetrators. The Jirga held that Shahnaz Bhutto had to be violently dealt with, not only by her husband but by the male persons on his side of the family. The Jirga directed that no other person should deal with the lady and that her husband should not beat her; otherwise a criminal case would be filed against him.
However, the perpetrators, with the connivance of police, continued to beat her to get her to transfer the property. One of the perpetrators, Kala Khan Bhutto, is the sub inspector in Central Investigation Agency (CIA), a police wing.
On the day of the murder, Ms Shahnaz was taken to a graveyard at Khair Muhammad Bhutto’s village, 15 kilometeres away from her residence, to visit the grave of her father-in-law who died some months ago. She was murdered by 10 persons and her uncle and others were witnesses to the incident.
I am appalled that after the murder, which was exposed by the journalist Mr. Sikander Bhutto, the murderers announced that Sikander was having an illicit relationship with Shahnaz and he is a target of Karo, which means he is liable to be killed. Mr. Sikander Ali Bhutto, a media representative of the Human Rights Commission (HRCP) and a prominent journalist of Ghotki district, Sindh province, is affiliated with Pakistan Press International (PPI) and reporter at News One TV. He has to take shelter in another province because of armed attacks at his home and the houses of his relatives by the henchmen of the perpetrators who killed Ms Shahnaz Bhutto. Sikander, as a human rights defender, has also reported about the domestic violence against her by the male members of her husband’s family and about her applications to the courts, provincial and federal ministers and high-ranking police officers.
Abdul Majeed, the son of Koro Khan Bhutto, the brother of second wife of her husband, surrendered at the Daharki police station three days after the murder, and confessed that he murdered Shahnaz and that he also tried to murder Sikander, the journalist, but failed. Before his surrender, Mr. Rana, the husband of victim, was arrested and also confessed the murder, on the pretext of honour killing.
It is also very sad to learn about the role of the police, who proved to be very dubious in the case as a sizeable number of the perpetrators’ henchmen are openly threatening to kill a journalist as an honour killing but no action has been taken to provide protection to the journalist and his family members. The police have also ignored the direction from Sindh high court, which asked them to send back a report on the allegations of death threats on the pretext of honour killing. The directions were issued on January 8 but the police have not replied yet.
It is also shocking that the killers are from the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and that the tribal chief, Mr. Sahib Dino, remains as chief of the union council on the party ticket, using police influence on the people of the district. The provincial chapter of the party is not taking any interest in the crimes conducted in the name of the ruling party.
I therefore urge upon you to provide protection to Mr. Sikandar Bhutto, the journalist and human rights defender who has been declared by the perpetrators as a target of Karo and is liable to be killed. The man is hiding in another province and his family members are under direct attack by the perpetrators, who have the good shield of being the old guards of the PPP. Please also provide protection to the family members of the deceased woman, Shahnawaz Bhutto, and particularly to her children because of the inheritance of her property. The police officers must be prosecuted for providing shelter to the perpetrators and allowing powerful persons to declare some person as Karo or Kari and announcing death warrants against them.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801/9214171
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Raja Pervez Ashraf
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk or pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
3. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
E-mail: pppsindh@yahoo.com
4. Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
5. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
6. Minister for Human Rights
Government of Sindh
Pakistan secretariat, Barrack 92,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9207044
Tel: +92 21 9207043
E-mail: lukshmil@yahoo.com
7. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
8. Inspector General of Police
Police Head office, I. I. Chundrigar Road
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9212051
E-mail: ppo.sindh@sindhpolice.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
